


Trending Topic

by ThatHCWriter



Category: Escape the Night (Web Series)
Genre: Conspiracy Theories, Coping, Escape the Night Spoilers, F/M, Fan Communities, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Internet, M/M, Mild Angst, Mystery, Support Groups, alternate perspective, charity events, reactions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:00:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26116843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatHCWriter/pseuds/ThatHCWriter
Summary: Each year, a group of content creators suddenly and inexplicably go missing. Each year, the world reacts with increasing shock and fascination.Or, people with large online followings don't just disappear.People from all over the world take notice. They grieve. They theorize. They start looking.
Relationships: Matthew Patrick/Stephanie Patrick, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 40





	Trending Topic

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm zooming out on ETN, taking a look at how it impacts the world as a whole. This was a super interesting idea, so I hope you find it fascinating or at least entertaining!

The first time it happened, no one seemed to take much of a notice. The world dismissed it as influencers simply being influencers, irresponsibly dropping off the face of the earth to go to some wilderness rave that would be all over their socials in a matter of days. Sure, there were those who worried, but most were cast aside as obsessive, unable to function without their favorite's content. 

That was, until a very uncharacteristically upset Rosanna Pansino posted a hauntingly short video. At barely a minute, it managed to only include two sentences that for a moment, rocked the platform as a whole. 

"I wanted to clear something up, we haven't heard from Justine. No one's heard from any of them." Confirmation from the friends and loved ones of the others poured in, leaving the community unable to even breathe between the bombshells. 

The community reacted in a slew of different ways. The LA County sheriff's department received the most calls it ever had in one day from concerned people who were desperately trying to start an investigation. Crowdfunding sites were swamped with funds to help search for the missing, most of which surpassed their goals within hours. Online boards were flooded with conspiracy theories, ranging from a violent corporate house cleaning at YouTube, to the arrival of aliens, to dark assassination plots. 

Even though it seemed all-consuming, the frenzy in the communities managed to gather minimal mainstream attention. Most people didn't bat an eye, and news outlets didn't see a need to cover what they saw as an attention grab from washed-up C-Listers. 

As the week went by, a sick sense of acceptance fell over the communities. Many of them knew enough about crime to know that after the first forty-eight hours, the odds of a happy ending to the story was slim. Those that didn't held on for longer, but their hope also stretched thin as the week stretched out. 

They genuinely thought that was it. An inexplicable tragedy that cost the lives of several people, like far too many before it. So the tributes started to pour in, memorials started to pop up, and people all over the internet finally got the chance to mourn. 

Until, three days later, Eva Guttowski and Oli White reappeared on social media. 

Shaken, disturbed, and different, but completely unharmed, and perhaps most shocking of all, very alive. 

And it all started up again. Their communities rejoiced, coming together to support their almost resurrected paragon in any way they could. The other communities rejoiced for a moment too. Maybe, since they had come back, so would the person they follow. 

But the weeks ticked by without any more reappearances. And the complete silence of those who had made it out said more than any statement could. 

Slowly but surely, the grieving process started again for those people. Tributes began pouring out much faster than before, with YouTube itself pulling off the most dramatic one. For twenty-four hours, the platform went silent. The website shut down, only showing a black screen with the words "Tim, Shane, Matt, Justine, GloZell, Lele, Sierra, and Andrea. Never Forgotten," etched on it in white and red lettering. 

Of course, this managed to finally draw mainstream attention to the issue. Those who simply wanted to look up an unrelated video were confronted by the fact that these people, these icons, were gone. The action also managed to almost completely silence the conspiracy theorists that blamed the company, leaving only bafflement in that community as well. No one seemed to know exactly what to say, how to react, how to feel, but those who made their livelihood off of the platform could only stay silent for so long. Slowly, almost awkwardly, the platform began to recover, with the biggest names getting back to regular schedules by the time the first anniversary came. 

All was somber, but all was well. 

Until it happened again. 

This time the names were bigger, the follower counts were higher, and most chillingly of all, the community knew what to expect. Some saw it as a sick sort of relief, knowing that two would survive, but others were horrified. It wasn't a repeat. It was a pattern. The theories started to veer toward the macabre, with organized crime and a serial killer being the most common guesses. 

But what really changed between the first and second incident, was the reaction from other creators. Mark Fischbach was first to air his concerns with a video, talking for nearly an hour about the pervasive paranoia that had infected his life, even going so far as to say he's afraid to take a break from filming, for fear that if something were to happen, his followers wouldn't notice. The video gained millions of views in minutes, and opened the door for many creators to talk about the similar feelings they were experiencing. The platform's biggest names all revealed their fear to the public, quickly flooding most trending tabs. 

The message of all of them, as Ethan Nestor put, was simple. "It hasn't happened to anyone close to me yet. But there's no way to be sure that it won't." 

Matthew Patrick took a different approach to respond. He used his experience at crafting theories and knowledge of the platform to become what was essentially a private investigator. He worked to form a working idea of what happened, even assisting the police at times to help get closer to solving the case. He saw it as offering his talents to the cause, but there was also a sense of challenge to it that he adored. This was a real life complicated puzzle, one he had a shot at solving. No, one he would solve. 

As the week stretched longer, the fans started to show their support in a variety of unique ways. Almost a million people had bought or made a FIND LIZA t-shirt in only a few days, with all of the other missing people also finding their way on the shirts and in the thoughts of so many people.

This time, it wasn't a shock, or a hunt, or even something to theorize over. It was a tragedy. And it brought millions together in anticipation, hope and above all, fear. 

For days, the world braced itself for the news, the Internet almost collectively holding its breath for the reveal. 

Sure enough, just like before, two of the missing people reappeared online, and just like before, they were unscathed. 

This time though, the reaction was much more resigned, mournful, and warm. A trend quickly blossomed out of the grief, simple but powerful in its message. People shared stories of times when the missing had unknowingly gotten them through the roughest times in their lives, helped them smile when they thought they couldn't, help accept themselves for who they are. Within hours, TheyChangedMyLife was trending on every platform, drawing sympathy and tears from fans and other creators alike. The families also expressed gratitude, thankful for the memories shared that were drowning out the pain and mystery of their current fates. 

The next several months were horribly tense. No one knew what to do, keep posting and ignore the looming threat of another incident, or hide and take an extended break? Those that returned lacked their usual luster, seeming almost frightened in their usually cheery videos. The community was permeated by a simple question, when? They knew it would happen again, no progress had been made in the case, and there was no sign of the missing. The anniversary was nearing, dialing up everyone in the community's fears and causing a whole slew of people to sleep with the lights on. 

And then, like clockwork. It happened again.

However, something felt different. It wasn't just that the victims were from a broader range of communities, not even that they had less in common, there was something else. Something game changing. 

There was a search effort organized and headed by Stephanie Patrick within a day of the dissapearances. Tyler Williams and Rachel Ballinger headed up satellite groups all over California, and Mike Lamond read a statement to major news outlets all before the sun set on the first day they were missing. The community quickly got behind them, taking an active roll in the hunt once again, and with new passion for the cause. 

This time, it felt like the person that was doing this didn't leave victims, it gained adversaries. 

Capable, intelligent people who had the best shot yet at bringing the person down and bringing the missing home. The communities reflected that, the mournful messages transforming into rallying cries, the world finally believing that if anyone could break the cycle, it was them. 

The message of hope was so strong, it drew in others on the platform who hadn't been involved in the tragedy. Gaming channels hosted lengthy charity streams, donating it all to the search effort. Cooking channels made a recipe of Rosanna's for every day that she was gone, using the revenue to pitch in. Every profile picture of influencers big and small was a simple white circle with the text "BRING NINE HOME" blazoned in the center. 

The fire didn't die as the week stretched on, people marching and sharing and proudly declaring their hope in a better ending. 

That all came to a screeching halt when Matthew Patrick uploaded a video titled simply "I'm Sorry, Internet." Nikita Dragun only managed to tweet out a cryptic confirmation of her status, but it did what it needed to do. 

A wave of helplessness crashed over the Internet, most turning back to the mourning they went through only a year ago. Yet again, a new trend emerged from the sadness. "Message to the missing" videos started popping up everywhere, where people shared a personal message to one of the people lost in the past three years. Fans did it in droves, some more impactful than others, but the ones that garnered the most attention were the ones from loved ones of the victims. 

Tyler William's message quickly became one of the most viewed videos in the first twenty four hours, haunting audiences with its final line: 

"I really wish I got to marry you." 

The tributes poured in, this time even spanning to corporate levels. Bath and body works released a franken-candle in memory of Safiya, with Sephora quickly doing a similar gesture. Bakeries in LA sold free cupcakes in memory of Rosanna, and multitudes of companies posted more simple, yet impactful memories. 

It was all nice, but the longer it went on, mourning again shifted to dread. The one year anniversary came, and went. 

It almost set the community into more of a frenzy than a new event, the sudden bucking of a trend got noticed quickly. Some were hopeful, believing it must finally be over. Others were horrified, convinced that whoever was behind this was planning something big. 

As the week stretched on, confusion set in. Theories ran rampant, as the community desperately scrambled to find an explanation. 

And then. Like clockwork. Someone reappeared, unscathed and alive. But this time, it was someone the world thought was dead for over a year. 

Colleen Ballinger was welcomed in part with open arms, in part with suspicion. Many thought it fishy that she be the one who benefitted from the strange deviations, thought she may be involved. For months, theories and joy alike ran wild, taking over the community's minds for nearly a full year. 

Now, the fifth year anniversary is closing in. Everyone is on edge, not sure whether to expect another great loss, or another strange gain. The community can only ask one question. 

When will it happen again?

**Author's Note:**

> What did you think? There's a lot more to explore, but I wanted to think about ETN this way for a while! Thanks for reading!


End file.
